Latest News

May 2011

May is National Vinegar Month
The westboroughpatch.com (Massachusetts) recognized May as National Vinegar Month and noted, “The Vinegar Institute is hoping you will take time in the month of May to honor how versatile the product is for both cooking and cleaning.” To view the article, click here.

Vinegar to Clean Your Ears
Yahoo! News picked up a story from HealthDay News on a new study that has found a direct association between using cotton swabs to clean the ears and ruptured eardrums. Co- author of the study, Dr. Michael Seidman, director of the division of otologic and neurotologic surgery at Henry Ford Hospital, offered three alternative ways to clean ears, including using vinegar, which is noted as follows:

Another idea is to mix one part plain vinegar and one part water and use four or five drops once a week.

Groom Dogs with Vinegar to Repel Bugs
Associated Content by Yahoo! featured a story on the use of vinegar to groom dogs. The article notes, “The vinegar will disinfect bug bites and keep bugs off of your dog. One of the main bugs that vinegar is thought to keep away is mosquitoes. By coating your dog in vinegar, your dog can help keep mosquitoes away from you.” To read the article, use this link.

Use Vinegar to Remove Apple Juice Stains
The Oakland Press (Michigan) featured a story titled, “Frugal Living: Remove Apple Juice Stains,” that recommended the use of vinegar to remove such stains. The article notes,

“For your apple juice stain, presoak in a sink of warm water and liquid dish washing soap and vinegar for an hour (1 part vinegar, 2 parts water). Launder as usual, but add color-safe bleach. But don't dry in the dryer.”

Does “Stale” Vinegar Clean as well as Fresh Vinegar?
Yahoo! Associated Content (“the world’s largest source of community-created content”) featured a story on whether “old, stale” vinegar can be used to clean. According to the author, “I found out that when it comes to cleaning with vinegar old is better.” To read the article, use this link.

Wallet Pop Features Video on Vinegar
Wallet Pop.com featured a video on the many uses of vinegar. The video features Julia Scott’s (also known as the Bargain Babe) Daily Tips for Savvy Spenders. In the video, which can be seen here, Ms. Scott demonstrates her 10 favorite uses for vinegar. As additional information, Wallet Pop focuses on consumer financial topics.

Vinegar Tips Featured on USATODAY.com

USATODAY.com ran an article by Kim Painter on ways to reduce cloudiness and spottiness on dishes. The author offers 5 tips for clean dishes, including the one below related to vinegar:

Try the vinegar cure If your glassware already is covered in a sad, milky film, try this technique suggested by the cleaning institute: Put two cups of vinegar in a bowl on the bottom of the dishwasher. Put cloudy glasses and other filmy non-metal dishes in the machine. Run a full cycle without detergent. Then rewash the load with detergent to remove any leftover vinegar. Metal items can be shined up with stainless steel cleaner or silver cream.

Wash one window. Window-washing has a reputation for drudgery. So do just one — and see if it doesn't inspire you to keep going. Use a spray bottle of equal parts water and vinegar and wipe with newspapers or a microfiber cloth. To see streaks more clearly, clean on a cloudy day.

Tips from Heloise and Martha Stewart
Heloise suggested to readers of the CantonRep.com to use vinegar to help clean faucet aerators. See the tip below:

Low-water aerators are highly recommended for saving water. Aerators do get clogged with minerals and dirt, causing a noticeably slower flow of water from your faucet. It is a fairly easy job to remove the screw-on faucet aerator screen and rinse it well, using a toothpick to clear the holes. For stubborn deposits, soak the aerator screen in full-strength vinegar overnight (don’t put any stainless-steel parts in the vinegar, as it can pit the parts).

Also, they are relatively inexpensive to replace -- usually less than $5 each.

Meanwhile, Martha Stewart suggested to readers of philly.com (Philadelphia) to use vinegar to remove no-slip decals from bathtubs. The tip is noted below.

You'll need vinegar and a wooden or plastic tool with a scraping edge (an old credit card will work), as well as time and patience. Warm the vinegar briefly in the microwave. Plug the stopper, and pour the vinegar over the decals, saturating them. Let the vinegar sit for about half an hour. Gently wedge the credit card between the tub and the decal. Separate the sticker slowly and methodically. If the layers of the decal begin to separate, move to another section and continue scraping. Remove any remaining glue with a rough cloth. For tougher jobs, use Goo Gone cleaner.